Ink drying machine



April 9, 1940. J. SCHNEIDER INK DRYING MACHINE Fiied July 1, 1938 2 Sheets-She'et 1 NIX @E if 4 Q.mHIILI .www

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ATTORNEY April 9, 1,940.

J. SCHNEIDER Imc DRYING MACHINE Find July 1, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Rv. 0 W WMM M1 00 Patented Apr. 9, '1940 UNITED sTATEs PATENT oI-ElcE INK DRYING MACHINE John Schneider, Alhambra, Calif.

Application July 1, 1

4 Claims.

embossed or printed stationery.

They primary object of myk invention is to providex an improved' ink drying machine capable of ifectively drying the ink on gengraved, embossed or printed stationery while at the same time retaining the natural moisture normally present in the stationery.

Other and further objects of my invention will be pointed out hereinafter, indicated in the appended claims, or will be obvious to one skilled in the art upon an understanding of the present disclosure. For the purpose of this application I have elected to show herein certain forms and details of an ink representative of my invention;

drying machine it is to be understood, however, that the embodiment of my invention herein shown and described is ior the purpose of :illustration only, and that therefore it is noty to be regarded as exhaustive of the variations of the invention, nor

is it to bel given an interpretation such as might have the effect of limitingthe claims, short of the true and most comprehensive scope of the invention in the art".-

In the accompanying drawings: Fig. l is a side elevation of an ink Ydrying machine embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 isa sectional View taken on the lineV l 2,-2 df Fig. 1;

.of the frame, respectively,

Fig. 3 is a 3 3 of Fig. 1; and

sectional view taken on thel line Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line I--li of Fig. l.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral I designates a suitably shaped supporting frame mounted on a pluralityof independently adjustable legs 2.

At the rear end of the frame I is pivotally mounted a rack 3 which has a pair of spaced rollers li and 5 supported thereon.

Extending over the rollers and 5 isan endless conveyor belt 6, the tension of which is adjusted by means of a pair of set screws l (only one showing on the drawings) engaging with a pair of blocks, 8 slidably positioned 0n the rack 3 and Within which the axial ends 5', of the roller 5 are rotatably supported. The rack rests on and is adjustably supported in a substantially horizonta-l position by set screws 9 extending through flanges 9 provided on the rear end of the frame I. at the rear and front ends are rollers II) and I I Rotatably mounted over which an endless conveyor belt I2 extends.

938, Serial No. 216,974

'Ihe conveyor belt also extends 'over a roller I3 which Ais mounted on the free ends of a pair of pivoted arms I4 securedto the frame I, and spiral wire springs I5 exerting a downward pull upon thesaid arms provide a suitable selfad 5 justing tensioning means upon the conveyor belt I2 to compensate for the expansion and contraction thereof. l At the front end of the framev is pivotally mounted a normally inclined rack I6 which has l0 a pair of spaced rollers I1, and I8 supported thereon. Extending over the rollers l'I and I8 is an endless conveyor belt I9, the tension of which is adjusted by means of a pair of' set screws 28 (only one being shown on the drawi5 ings) engaging with a pair of blocks 2| slidably positioned on the rack I6 and within which the 'axial ends i8' of the roller I8 'are rotatably mounted. Qn the extreme forward end of the rack I6 is secured by means of screws 22 a re- 20 ceiving tray 23 -for sheets of paper delivered thereto -by the belt I9. The endless belts 6, l2 and I9 are so positioned with respect toone another that sheets of embossed or printed paper are delivered by the conveyor belt Ii to the inter- 25 mediary conveyor belt I2, and from the latter to the inclined conveyor belt I3. Mounted on a platformjor shelf 24 secured to the'frame I is an electric motor 25 having one end of its drive shaft 25 extending into a box 26 and connected 30 to suitable reduction gears which are housed therein. The reduction gears housed in the b ox 23 are connected through a shaft 42l to a gear 23 which in turn is connected to a large gear 29. The large gear 29 has a small gear 30 keyed 35 theretoand the latter is in mesh with another large gear 3I,'which in turnhas a small gear 32 secured thereto. The small gear 32- meshes with a gear 33 which is secured to the roller I0, thereby-"completing from the motor 25 to the said roller for the slow operation of the conveyor belt I2. An idler gear 34 in mesh with the gear 33 and with `a similar gear'35 which is secured to the roller 4 completes the connection` to the latter, thereby caus- 45 ing the conveyor belt IiA to move in the same dif rectionas the vbelt I2 and at about the same speed.

Secured to the roller I'l is a ratchet wheel 38 d and engaging therewith is a pawl 31 pivotally 50 mounted on the upper free end of a lever 38- which is pivoted as at 39 to the frame I. Se V'cured to an end of the roller II is a cam 40 which is adapted to engage with the lever 38 when the said roller rotates. A spiral spring QI u the train of gear connections 40 a fraction of one revolution.

2,190,611 exerts a pulling force on the lever in a direcof the motor 25. A valve 50' on the conduit 50 tion toward the cam 45. As the roller II is ro- .servesto regulate the ilow of air therethrough. tated by the conveyor belt I2 the cam 40 is The various air deflecting members 48 in the carried into engagement with the lever 3,8. thereby actuating the latter forwardly so the pawl 31 engaging with` a tooth of the ratchet wheel 35 may cause the latter and the r'oller I1 to rotate The conveyorelt I9 `is thereby slowly'moved in the same direction as thevtwo other conveyor belts 5 and I2. The spring 4| moves the lever 38 rearwardly after each disengagement of the cam 40 therewith, thereby carrying the pawl into a position where it engages with the next succeeding tooth of the y versely disposed plate 49.

Aratchet wheel 35. 'I'he speed vtends to set up a back pressure at which the conveyor belts 5, I2 and I9 travel may be varied by changing the relative sizes of the reductiongears connecting the motor 25 with the roller III.

Supported at vthe rear end of the frame I is a transversely disposed housing 42 having a forwardly extending hood member 43 Joined thereto. 'Ihe front side of the housing 42 isopen thereby permitting moving air entering the hous.

ing to freely proceed in a forward direction into and through the hood'member 43. The housing 42 and the hood member 43 extend over the conveyor belt I2 so as to confine a forwardly mov-1" ing current of air within an area directly over the said conveyor belt. The hood member 43 is so shaped that its top side is inclined rearwardly from a narrow air discharge opening located at its front end, thereby providing means which upon the air 'discharged from thehousing into the said hood member. The gradually restricted air channel in the hood member 43 retards the ow oi' air therethrough. thereby preventing the sheets of paper normally conveyed in a forward direction by the conveyor belt I2 from becoming displaced and blown from the latter. 'Ihe hood member 43 preferably rests on the frame I, and its front end is held in place by lugs 44 on the frame engaging with its opposite sides, while a rearwardly disposed flange 45 at its top side engaging with the top of the housing 42 serves to V.maintain the rear end of the said hood in place. Secured,vpreferably, to the top side of the hood 43 are a plurality of spaced bailies 45 which are each provided with a series of openings 41 for the forward movement therethrough of some of the air discharged into the hood., The bailles 46 are adapted to direct forwardly moving air passing through the hood 43 in a downward direction uponsheets of printed or embossed paper being conveyed in a forward direction by the conveyor belt I 2 The openings 41 in the bailles 46 allow some of the forwardly moving air to pass therethrough without being directed in a downwarddirection, thereby permitting the air current to be deected downwardly at dierent points along the length of the hood, and thus bringing moving air into engagement with the conveyed sheets of paper throughout the greater length Aof the belt I2 Extending transversely'across the top of the housing 42 are a series ofcurved air deiiecting members 48 which dene a series of air channels that are closed at their lower sides by a trans- The air channels are comparatively narrow at their intake ends and Vconsiderably enlarged at their discharge ends.

'Ihe intake ends of the channels are supplied with air under pressure by a conduit-50 which is connected to a suitable blower fanv 5|, the latter beingconnected to and actuated by the shaft 25' uncovered. The conveyor belt means at its other end, a

" Extending transversely across the interior of thefliusing 42 and positioned directly beneath the plate 49 is a cylindrical burner 52 preferably having a series of openings at its upper side for themovement of heated air andgases of combustion in an upward direction and onto the said plate. 'I'he heating of the plate'49 by the burner 52v causes the air directed into the housing 42 to be satisfactorily heated before it emerges into the hood 43. The burner 52 is supplied with fuel from a suitable source by a conduit 53, and a valve 54 o n the latter serves to regulate the now of said fuel to the burner.

` So as to moisten or humidify theair passing paper conveyed through the hood portion 43 will not be dried lout or otherwise damaged ,bythe heated air engaging therewith, I have connected a water container 55 through a pipe 56 to the biower'fan 5I. 'I'he water admitted to the blower fan 5I is intercepted by the fan blades and broken up into particles small enough to be readily carried with the air discharged through the conduit 5l! into the housing 42. A valve 51 on the pipe 56 serves to control the amount of water delivered to the blower fan 5I, thereby providing means for regulating the humidity of the air discharged through the housing and hood portion 43.

Positioned at the front end of the frame I above the rollers II and I1 isa transversely disposed housing 53 having therein a series of curved air deilectors 59 for evenly distributing and also directing a current of said housing froma conduit'- 50 in a downward direction upon the sheets vof paper after they have emerged from the hood portion 43. 'I'he air passing through conduit 50 is controlled by a valve 5I. 'I'he ink on the sheets of embossed or printed'paper upon being contacted by the current of. cool air in the housing 53 is thereby crystallized and hardened. v In operation, an operator places the embossed or printed sheets of paper having the moist ink thereon on the conveyor belt 6 in such positions that the inked portions of the said sheets are 5 carries the sheets onto the conveyor belt I2. and the latter conveys them through the hood member 43 where they are engaged by the current of heated air passing through the-latter. The ink on the sheets of paper is usually quite dry when they emerge from Vthe hood member 43, and as lthey pass'throughthe housing 55 the cool air crystallizes fand hardens the said ink. The conveyor belt I2 delivers the sheets of paper onto the slow Having described my invention, what I claim having air inlet means at one end and air outlet conveyor extending' through the enclosure, means for discharging air under pressure into and through the enclosure, means for heating Vair admitted to the enclosure, and plurality of aligned bame members positioned in.. the enclosure for defiecting currents of air l upon the conveyor. the' said baille members having .1. In a drying machine, an elongated enclosure4 cool air admitted into' the 1 sol openings therein for the passage therethrough to the succeeding baille members of. some of the air, whereby a series of deflected currents of air may at spaced intervals be directed upon the beneath the baille members, air inletmeans at the enlarged end of the enclosure, air outlet meansv at the oppositeend of the enclosure, means for discharging air under pressure into the enclosure, means at the enlarged end of the enclosure for heating the air admitted to thelenc1psureand means for humidifying the'air discharged into the enclosure.

3. In a drying machine, an elongated enclosure having an enlarged end and a narrowed end, the said enclosure having an inclined4 top side extending from its narrowed end to its enlarged'end, air inlet means at the enlarged end of theenclosure, air outlet means at the opposite end of the enclosure, means for discharging air under pressure. into the enclosure, means at the enlarged end of `the enclosure for heating air thereto, a conveyor belt extending lengthwise through the enclosure and positioned to enclose the lower side of the enclosure, means for actuadmitted ating the conveyor belt in a direction whereby material to be dried may be conveyed from the enlarged end of the enclosure to its narrowed end, and a ,plurality of spaced and perforated baffle members extending downwardly from the top side of the enclosure for intercepting air passing through the enclosure and directing it down-A wardly upon the conveyor belt..

4. In a drying machine, an elongated enclosure having an enlarged end and a narrowed end,v the said enclosure having an inclined top side extending from its narrowed end to its enlarged end, air inlet means at the enlarged end of the enclosure, air outlet means at the narrowed end of the enclosure, means for discharging air under pressure into and through the enclosure, means at the enlarged end of the enclosure for heating air admitted thereto, means at the enlarged end of the enclosure for intercepting and distributing the incoming air across the enclosure, a conveyor belt extending lengthwise through the enclosure and positioned to enclose the lower side oi. the

' enclosure, means for actuating the conveyor belt in a direction whereby material to be dried may be conveyed from the enlarged end of the enclosure to its narrowed end, and a plurality of spaced and perforated baiile members extending downwardly from the top side of the enclosure for-intercepting air passing through the enclosure and directing it downwardly onto the conveyor belt.

JOHN 'SCHNEIJ'Jm 

